In 2026, the History of Education Society will fund TWO fellowships to establish a higher public profile for the History of Education Society, its associated publications and conferences, and other activities concerned with the study and teaching of the history of education, in the UK and abroad. The aims of the Society include the promotion of the study and teaching of the history of education; promoting the public profile and an informed public understanding of the history of education by engaging in relevant debates; providing collaboration and exchange among those interested in the history of education in the UK and around the world; and promoting links with the study and teaching of history at all levels.

• The Peter Gosden Fellow will maintain and develop the Society’s online presence through the website, social media and blogs.
• The Richard Aldrich Fellow will undertake the annual update of the Exe Libris bibliographical database of publications released in the calendar year 2025, and work with the editors of History of Education Researcher in the preparation of an annual review of periodical literature (RPL).

Each fellowship will start on 1st February 2026 and finish on 31st January 2027. Each fellow will be mentored by one or more members of the Society’s Board of Trustees.

The responsibilities of each fellow are outlined below, together with information about the reward package and the application process.

Reward Package

Each fellow will receive:

1. £1,300 as an honorarium, paid in four instalments of £325 These will be paid on or before the last day of March, June, September and December.
2. Membership of the Society and, for those without institutional access, a subscription to History of Education for the period of their fellowship.
3. Free attendance at the Society’s annual conferences (i.e. the student and main conferences) to include the conference fee, conference meals if these are additional costs, accommodation costs agreed in advance and standard class travel expenses from within the UK to the conference venue.
4. All out of pocket expenses required for the fulfilment of the fellowship will also be met, subject to their approval prior to expenditure.

Responsibilities of Fellows

The specific responsibilities of each fellow are listed below. Fellows should consult with their mentors and aim to attend at least two Executive Committee meetings a year in addition to tabling brief reports for all meetings which will be included as standing items on the agenda.

Reports from fellows will be included as standing items on the AGM agenda, and necessary steps will be taken to invite the fellows to participate.

Peter Gosden Fellow – Social Media

• Maintaining and updating the Society’s website.
• Ensuring that a blog is posted on the Society’s website at least ten times during the year of the Fellowship;
• Ensuring that regular social media posts are sent out as and when necessary/appropriate/requested by one of the Senior Officers of the Society

• Liaising on a regular basis with the Society’s postgraduate representative(s) to maximise efficiency and effectiveness when publicising news and events pertaining to postgraduate students;
• Liaising with the organisers of the annual conferences (main and student conferences) to ensure appropriate and timely publicity over calls for papers, online posting of conference content, blogging of conference reports, book prizes, and similar;
• Consulting with the Fellow’s appointed mentors on a regular basis, with regard to the frequency, content and style of the posts;
• Producing reports for each Executive Committee meeting and attending at least two of them.

Note: So long as the authorship of all ‘posts’ are appropriately acknowledged, to avoid any contravention of copyright law, the Fellow can co-ordinate the social media activity rather than write all of the content her or himself.

Richard Aldrich Fellow – Exe Libris and RPL

• Updating the Exe Libris database in the early part of the calendar year. From a list of 60 journals, relevant articles to the history of education will be assessed and entered into the Exe Libris electronic database. Full training will be given to the successful candidate;

• Co-authoring the Review of Periodic Literature (RPL) with an appropriate colleague/member of the Executive. If appropriate and/or desirable, the Fellow may be the sole author

• Consulting with the Fellow’s appointed mentors on a regular basis to review progress during the fellowship period;
• Producing reports for each Executive Committee meeting and attending at least two of them.

Application Process

Applications are welcome from anyone interested in furthering the mission and aims of the History of Education Society as set out above. Previous recipients of a History of Education Society Fellowship are welcome to re-apply.

Applicants should ideally be undertaking or have completed a postgraduate degree in the history of education or a cognate field of enquiry. Personal or professional experience of utilising social media would be desirable for those applying for the Peter Gosden Fellowship, and knowledge and experience of bibliographic research would be desirable for those applying for the Richard Aldrich Fellowship. Applicants should also name two referees whom we may approach for references – please note there is a short turnaround so referees should be able to provide a reference at short notice.

Fellows can be based in any locality but must have ready access to the relevant information technology and to a reliable internet connection. The Richard Aldrich Fellow should be able to visit certain library locations in London. Reasonable travel costs within the UK will be reimbursed.

Interested applicants should send a letter of application specifying the fellowship for which they wish to be considered. The letter should outline their suitability for the role, include the names and contact details for two referees, and should be accompanied by a short curriculum vitae (no more than two pages). Applications should be sent to Dr Catherine Holloway (email: [email protected]).

Application Closing Date: 12 noon (GMT) on Friday 9th January 2026

Short-listed applicants will be interviewed online in mid-January, with an appointment being made for the beginning of February.